Truss



(No Model.)

J. P. STAFFORD. TRUSS.

Patented Dec. 1.8, 1894.

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' senting two supporting arms and pads.

PATENT Erica.

JAMES F. STAFFORD, QF WIGHITA, KANSAS.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,973, dated December 18, 1894.

Application filed July 28, 1893. Serial No- 431,792. (No model.)

To all whom it may'eonoern;

Be it known that I, JAMES F. STAFFORD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Hernial Trusses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference thereon, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the truss, wherein the pad supporting bar thereof is incased by means of a body encircling belt; Fig. 2, a diagram, as shown by the dotted lines, of a body, at the junction where a truss is worn, and a top view of the truss as it would appear when applied to a body; Fig. 3, a crosssection of the pad supporting bar, and a side View of the pad supporting arm, arranged on the bar, and of the pad supported by said arm. Fig. 4., is a front View of the truss, as it would appear before being applied to a body, repre- 1g. 5, is a similar view of the truss, representing but one supporting arm and pad. Figs. 6 and 7 are similar views, made to show abdominal supporting plates arranged in place of the pads shown in the former views, and Fig. 8,

is a diagram of the truss, representing by the dotted lines different adjustments of the truss padsyeither toward or from each other, attained by bending the supporting bar of the truss.

This invention relates to certain improvements in hernial trusses, and consists in the particular construction, arrangement, and manner of adjusting the parts thereof to accommodate the body of the wearer, which improvements are fully set forth and explained in the following specification and pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings a round bar R, preferably of soft steel, is utilized as a support for the pad arms and pads; the said.

arms D being made forked at one end, and provided, through the parts of said forks with holes corresponding with bar R, and are arranged sleeved on said bar, as shown, (see Fig. 6,) and when placing said arms on said bar, an arm, as shown at V, is arranged between the forks of each arm D and the two arms are thus placed on bar R jointly, and

when brought'to their proper position the and ,by reason of arms V being fixed or secured on bar R, the adjustment of said screws will in like manner engage and adjust arms D, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The pads P of the truss, are of the usual form, and are secured to the rear lower side portion, loosely, of arms D, a pad to each arm, by means of screws d, which are placed through holes of said arms with their head hearing against the face of the arms, and their screw-threaded end turned into the pads, holding the pads a little distance from the arms, and as a means of providinga yielding bearing between the arms D and pads P, each screw (1 has sleeved on it between the arm and pad, a coil spring as shown. Abdominal supporting plates, as shown at P in Figs. 6 and 7, are attached to the arms D in like manner.

Each arm D is provided with a series of holes in its lower portion forthe placing of screws d, or interchanging said screws, for the purpose of permitting of'vertical adjustment of pads P, on arms D.

Either two or one pad P, or supporting plate P','may be attached to bar R, by means of the arms, or arm D, and given adjustment to ward or from the body by means of the thumb screws or screwS held by the arms or arm V, as shown.

When the arms and pads have been placed, as described, the end portions of bar R are flattened as shown at R, preferably by swaging, which compresses the particles of metal thereof, and renders said end portions yielding practically for all purposes of the truss.

In some instances the bar R, R, is incased, by being secured between two parts of a belt B, preferably of leather, which has openings made therein for arms D and V to project from, as shown in Fig. 1; and in other instances the ends of parts R of bar R are provided with buttons e and a belt 13, as shown in Fig. 2, is attached thereto by being hooked on said buttons.

When attaching the truss to a body the bar R, R, is placed at, or near, the junction of the waist of the body, with arms D extending downward, and in contact with the hernia. When the said bar is bent laterally to conform to the front portion of the body, bringing the ends of the yielding portions R, R, thereof a little distance from the body, and in such position the truss is secured by passing the belt 13 about the back of the body and securing it in position, and thus, by reason of said yielding end portions of bar R, (as shown in position in Fig. 2,) the body portion of the truss is not rigidly and harshly held, but is yieldingly and gently held in contact with the body.

In instances when the pads P of a truss, are not the right distance apart, they are adjusted either toward or from each other by bending bar R as shown in Fig. 8.

Vhen a truss is placed on a person, and it is found that the pad or pads are not brought to bear sufliciently against the hernia, the thumb screw, or screws S are turned harder against arm or arms D, which will force arms D and pads P toward the body. The coil springs O which being interposed between arms D and pads P serve as a cushion bearing between said parts, at all times, which assists in destroying the harshness usually attending the wearing of trusses. A reverse adjustment of screws S will of course relax arms D and pads P.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

The herein described truss, consisting of the combination of the bendable bar R flattened at either end; the arms D placed on the bar, the arms V fixed on the bar, the set screws S turned through corresponding holes of said arms V and adapted to be adjusted to adjust the arms D, the pads P, the screws 61 for attaching the pads, the coil springs 0 arranged cushioning the pads, and the belt B, substantially as set forth.

JAMES F. STAFFORD.

Vitnesses:

WM. J. HUTCHINS, F. T. WEYANT. 

